Michigan City Area Schools

Welcome to Michigan City Area Schools! Our administrative offices are located at 408 S. Carroll Avenue, Michigan City, IN 46360. Administration Building office hours are Monday-Friday, 7:30am - 4:00pm and by appointment. 

• Michigan City Area Schools covers approximately 120 square miles in LaPorte and Porter Counties. Buildings include 12 schools, an administrative office, a transportation/service building, and a plant planning facility.
• Two state-of-the-art elementary schools, Lake Hills and Pine, opened in 2009. Both buildings now serve students as magnet schools, Lake Hills as a magnet school for Science, Engineering, Technology and Math, and Pine as a magnet school for the Visual and Performing Arts.
• Full-day Kindergarten is offered to all students.
• A PreK program for three- and four-year-olds, operated by the LaPorte County Family YMCA, serves students on-site at two schools.
• High-Ability Centers are located at three elementary buildings (Springfield, Knapp, and Joy) serving high-ability students in a multi-age classroom setting. Middle schools also offer services for high-ability students.
• Middle Schools are theme-based, offering a solid foundation in core subjects through a special curricular focus. Barker centers on Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) and Krueger centers on Environmental Science.
• Michigan City High School (approximately 1,600 students) is accredited by the AdvancEd. Many dual-credit and AP courses are offered as part of an Honors College program, an Early College program serves middle tier/first-generation students, and a "P.A.C.K Academy" assists students in need of extra support. Project Lead the Way Engineering, a robust music and visual Arts program, and four Foreign Languages are among the diverse course options available to students. 
• Michigan City High School offers a Virtual Academy (online) option for students in grades 9-12. A "Pathways to Graduation" program, based at Elston, serves high school students wishing to study in an alternative setting.
• An Adult Basic Education program provides individualized instruction, credit recovery, and TASC test preparation at several sites.
• La Porte County Career and Technical Education, housed at the A. K. Smith Center, serves students from six high schools in the region. Areas of study include automotive technology, health careers, early childhood education, welding, culinary science, cosmetology, construction, advanced manufacturing, electronics/computer repair, criminal justice, and fire science/EMT.
• Numerous school and community events are held at the Elston Performing Arts Center and the MCHS auditorium. The corporation also offers outstanding athletic facilities, including a football stadium (Ames Field), a swimming pool, and a 7,000-capacity high school gymnasium, the Wolves Den.
• The corporation has a comprehensive instructional technology plan in place and has been recognized internationally for its technology programs. Our district is fully 1:1, all students K-12 are issued Chromebooks or Chrome tablets for use at home and at school.

About Our Community

Michigan City, Indiana is located on the southern shores of Lake Michigan near the beautiful Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore and State Park. The city, which is located in the northernmost section of LaPorte County, is just 55 miles east of Chicago and 10 miles southwest of the Michigan state line. The city’s economy features a sound industrial base accompanied by strong retail, service, and tourist sectors.

Michigan City is a diverse community, offering many cultural events and opportunities to enjoy the fine and performing arts. With a reputation as one of the Midwest’s best resort and recreation areas, the lakefront is a key attraction for all seasons. The historic South Shore commuter line runs several trains daily through Michigan City, along routes to South Bend and the Chicago Loop. Purdue University’s Northwest campus is located just a few minutes south of Michigan City, and Ivy Tech Community College serves residents at its Michigan City campus.